Drug-driver crashed car, kicked police officer and refused breath test

A drug-driver who was seen “swerving across the road” and later kicked a police officer has been banned for three years.Michael Rains, 34, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he was sentenced for drug-driving, assaulting an emergency worker and failing to comply with a roadside drugs test.In a previous hearing, Rains had admitted the three offences.

Prosecutor Jessica Neequaye told the court that on October 27 last year, Rains was seen swerving and driving on the wrong side of Loke Road in Lynn.He was pulled over by police, and admitted that he had taken cocaine.Rains was arrested and taken into custody, where further tests revealed he had 107mcg of benzoylecgonine, a cocaine breakdown, in his system. The legal limit to drive is 50mcg. Then, on February 8 this year, police were called to a crash and were told that somebody had been drink-driving.Officers arrived at the scene in Lynn and found Rains sat in a car with the hazards lights on. Police said that Rains, of Grove Park in Wisbech, appeared to be drunk – and spotted an empty bottle of cider. Rains refused to carry out a roadside breath test, so he was arrested.On arrival at Lynn’s Police Investigation Centre, Rains refused to exit the police van.He “lashed out” and kicked a police officer on the arm. Rains had previously been in court in 2020 for drink-driving, meaning he faced an automatic three-year disqualification this time around.In mitigation, Andrew Cogan told the court that Rains has ADHD and autism and has recently been engaging with mental health services.“He had been self-medicating with drugs. He is now engaging with his GP – there will be improvement with his mental health issues,” the solicitor said.Rains was handed a three-year driving ban as well as a 12-month community order.This will require him to carry out ten rehabilitation activity requirement days and a six-month drug rehabilitation programme.